Former D.C. Mayor Reminds Cities to Retain a Sense of Place

Despite being held on a cold, rainy night, ElevationDC's panel discussion, "Creating Great Neighborhoods" attracted a full house of more than 100 people on December 2.

The event began with former D.C. mayor Anthony Williams reminding the crowd that it hadn't been all that long since Washington, D.C. was the laughing stock of the country due to financial troubles a few decades ago. 

"We really were just struggling for basic respect," he said. 

The city has come a long way since then, and done a lot of work to rebuild and reinvent itself. Much of what has been done here to attract new residents and bring in new revenue is being celebrated and even emulated by other cities now. 

But more work remains, Williams added, and there are still problems to fix and areas that need attention. "We are about half way up the mountain. We've come a long way, but we have a long way to go." 

While glad for the new retail that has reinvigorated D.C., Williams said it is extremely important for the city to first and foremost retain its own sense of place. You always want, he said, a feeling that you are in a neighborhood of Washington, D.C. You don't just want to walk around and find the same things and the same stores you would find in any other city on the globe.